Atomizer



June 17, 1930. Q KAY 1,764,107

ATOMI ZER Filed June. 15, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 \l m Q INVENTOR OscarKb BY ATTO ivgsy i a handle 17 it can he slid 4O Patented June 17, 1930OSCAR KAY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ATOMIZER Application filed June15,

My invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of anatomizer by which.

the heavier hydrocarbons can be reduced to such a fine degree ofatomization as to pro- 5 duce substantially perfect combustion whenburned, and when heated to greatly facilitate the cracking thereof inthe distillation of petroleum.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide an atomizer whichincludes means by which the introduction of any desired fluid into thenozzle can be effected so as to be discharged centrally of the atomizedfuel jet.

This permits the use of steam to promote combustion and increase theheat of the flame emitted without detrimental action on the plate of aboiler, and the use of heated air in effecting cracking of the heavierhydrocarbons as atomized by the nozzle.

I will describe only one form of atomizer embodying my invention andwill then point out the novel features thereof in claims:

In the accompanying drawings;

Fig. 1 is a view showing in vertical longi- 25 tudinal section one formof atomizer embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the atomizer in horizontal longitudinalsection;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the atomizer in rear end elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the manner in which parts of the fluidconduit can be disconnected.

Referring specifically to the drawings, my invention in its presentembodimentcomprises a tubular housing 15, closed at one end and open atthe other and slidably supported in a barrel 16, so that by grippingforwardly to project into a fire-box. In the advanced position of thehousing a flange 18 abuts the outer end of the barrel 16; and thehousing l may be locked in this advanced position by a set screw 19threadedinto barrel and engaging within a suitable'r'ece'ss 20 in thehousi'ngJflTo facilitate sliding movement of the 7 housing the ends ofthe barrel are thickened to provide inwardly raised annular portions 21upon which the housing slides. Thus the barrel between its ends is outof contact with 1927. Serial the housing as clearly shown in Fig. 1 tomlnlmize friction between the two.

Disposed axially a pipe 22, the closed nected to a site end of withinthe housing 15 is one end of which is threaded in end of the housing andis conn oil supply pipe 23. The oppothe pipe merges into a barrel 23 inwhich spacing sleeves 24 and 25 are. ar-

ranged to maintain race rings 26 and 27 in spaced relation and incontact with confining rings 28 and 29 threaded in the barrel. Ballbearings 30 26 and 27 are positioned between the rings to rotatablysupport a tubular shaft 31 secured within the sleeve 25 by a jam nut 32The'forward portion of the shaft 31 is as thickened, and is provided atits forward end with a threaded collar 33 of reduced diameter to providean annular shoulder 34. A nozzle 35 is threaded on the collar 33, and abladed impeller 36 is interposed betw be secured against by locked with.

At the junction of the pipe 22 and the nozzle and shaft so as to theshoulder 34 and thereshaft for rotation thereeen the to the barrel 23 aplug 37 is threaded in the pipe. This plug is provided with a centralopening throughwhich extends the inner end of a tube 38. The tubeprojects forwardly through the shaft 31 with its forward end extendinginto the nozzle 35 and provided with a radial port 39 through which 011is adapted to hereinafter 15 a portion of a pipe 40 having its dischargebe discharged into the nozzle as described. Vithin the tube 38 endextending into the nozzle 35 for dis charging fluid or a comminutedsolid axially into the nozzle. This pipe 40 extends outwardly throughthe pipe 22 as shown in Fig.

2' and then re'arwardly through the closed "end of tliefjjjhousing whereit is connected through a coupling 41 to one end of a U shaped pipe 42,the opposite end of the U shaped pipe being connected by a coupling 43to a pipe 44 which extends through th e closed end of the housing so asto have communication with the interior thereof. The couplings 41 and 43are readily detacha spectively,

ble from the pipes 40 and 44, realthough the atomizer as designed onlycontemplates the disconnection of the pipe 42 from the pipe 44 asillustrated in Fig. 4, when the open end of the pipe 44 is closed by theapplication thereto of a cap 45.

The housing is provided at its underside with an opening 46 throughwhich air under pressure is discharged into the, housing from a pipe,47" threaded into a nipple 48 en the underside of the barrel 16. Thepipe 47 is adapted for connection to a suitable source of air pressureby which a constant supply of air is delivered to the housing.

The pipes 40, 42 and 44 together with the couplings 41 and 43 constitutea conduit by which air under pressure in the housing 15 dischargedcentrally into the nozzle when the pipes are connected as shown in 'Fig.3, or the supply ofother fluid such as steam, coal dust or hot air tothepipe 41 by disconnecting the pipe 42 from the pipe 44 and connectingit to the source of fluid supply.

For lubricating the bearings 30. an oil pipe 49 is provided within thehousing 15, one end of the pipe extending through the barrel 23" and thesleeve 24, while the other end is connected to a duct 50 in the handle17; A

valved nipple 51 is threaded into the upper end of the handle and isprovided with a spring pressed valve 52 which normally closes the upperend of the duct, but which can be opened by the application thereto ofoil under pressure for forcing oil into the duct and from the latterinto the pipe 49 for ultimate discharge into the sleeve 24. As

shown in Fig. 1 the pipe 49' is slightly in-' clined to causegravitation of oil into the sleeve 24 so that the ball bearings will beproperly lubricated. p The operation ofv the atomizer follows: 7

With air under pressure supplied to the housing 15 from the pipe 47 theimpeller 36 is rotated by the air as it is discharged from is as theopen end of the housing, and as a consequence the shaft 31 isset inrotation to impart a corresponding movement to the noz zle 35. WVithrelatively heavy oil supplied to the pipe 22 from the pipe 23 and underslight pressure it is forced into the tube 38, discharging from thelatter through the radial port 39 and thence radially into the small endof the nozzle 35. By virtue of its rotating movement and its interiorconstruction the nozzle atomizes the oil as it is discharged thereinto.As shown in Figs. 1' and 2 the nozzle has interiorly the contour of acone frustum with the inner walls stepped so as to provide a pluralityof conical chambers of graduated diameters.

. to the large end of the nozzle in order that A nozzle of, thisconstruction provides chambers of areas. progressively increasing fromthe small end the pipe 44 resulting in the discharge of air in the formof a jet from the pipe 40 and axially into the nozzle 35. This air jetaids in atomizing and vaporizing the oil as previously described.Further vaporization is effected by reason of the annular jet or film ofair discharged from the housingv around the nozzle. v

\Vith the atomizer operating as just described, it is adapted to beemployed as an oil burner. The, highly atomized oil asgdischarged fromthe nozzle produces a relatively long flame depending upon the degree ofair pressure employed, and which has been found in practice to benon-productive of smoke or carbon. v

WVhere the burner is employed for the heating of boilers and similaruses, it becomes necessary for various reasons to apprec'iably increasethe heat of the boiler for a limited time. In my invention this may beaccomplished by disconnecting the pipe 42 from the pipe 44 andconnecting it to a source of steam or coal dust supply in order that oneor the other will be discharged into the nozzle 35 from the pipe 40 andintermixed with the atomized oil and thus increase the heat of theflameproduced. It is important to note that when using steam it is dischargedinteriorly of the atomized oil and centrally of the annular film of airdischarged from the housing around the.

heavy hydrocarbons. In this adaptation air under pressure and heated toa relatively high degree is supplied to the pipe 40 to be dischargedcentrally into the nozzle 35 and to thereby heat as well as atomize'theoil discharged from the port 39. Owing to the fine degree of atomizationof the hydrocarbons and the heating thereof by the heated air supplied,a cracking or decomposing of the petroleum is effected. 1

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of atomizerembodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes andmodifications maybe made herein without departing from the spirit of theinvention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An atomizer comprising a housing to which air under pressure isadapted to be supplied, said housing having an opening through which theair is adapted to be discharged therefrom, an atomizing elementrotatable in the housing and positioned within said opening to cause theair to be discharged in an annular film about said clement, means fordischarging oil radially into the atomizing element to produce inconjunction with the rotative movement of the element a spray of oilbounded in its discharge by the annular film of air, means forintroducing a fluid under pressure into the atomizing element axiallythereof so as to be discharged centrally of the oil spray, and means forcontinuously rotating the atomizing element, the fluid introducing meanscomprising a conduit formed in sections co'operating to conduct air fromthe housing to the atomizing element, the sections being disconnectiblefor connection of that section leading to the atomizing element, to asource of pressure fluid or a comminuted solid fuel for conductingeither to the atomizing element to be discharged centrally of the oilspray.

2. In an atomizer, a shaft having a reduced threaded extension toprovide an annular shoulder at the junction of said extension and shaft,and a nozzle having a threaded extension threaded on the firstextension, and an impeller interposed between the nozzle extension andthe shaft to be held against said shoulder by the nozzle extension tofixedly secure the impeller to the shaft for rotation with the latter.

3. An atomizer comprising a housing to which air under pressure isadapted to be supplied, said housing having an opening through which theair is adapted to be discharged therefrom, an atomizing elementrotatable in the housing and positioned within said opening to cause theair to be discharged in an annular film about said element, means fordischarging oil radially into the atomizing element to produce'inconjunction with the rotative movement of the element a spray of oilbounded in its discharge by the annular film of air, a conduit forconducting fluid under pressure from the housing to a point axially ofthe nozzle so as to discharge the fluid into the V nozzle axiallythereof, and means for continuously rotating the atomizing element.

4. An atomizer comprising a housing to which air under pressure isadapted to be supplied, said housing having an opening through which theair is adapted to be discharged therefrom, an atomizing elementrotatable in the housing and positioned within said opening to cause theair to be discharged in an annular film about said element, means fordischarging oil radially into the atomizing element to produce inconjunction with the rotative movement of the element a spray of oilbounded in its discharge by the annular film of air, means by whicheither air from the housing can be conducted to the atomizing element,or a pressure fluid or comminuted solid fuel from a source of supplyseparate from the housing, conducted to the atomizing element.

5. An atomizer having means for introducing and discharging a liquidfuel therefrom in the form of a spray, a housing into which air can beintroduced and a blast of air discharged therefrom in surroundingrelation to the spray, and means by which either air from the housingcan be intro duced to the first means, or a pressure fluid or comminutedsolid fuel from a source of supply separate from the housing, introducedto the first means.

OSCAR KAY.

